Who will be the No. 2 wide receiver?

Overview

It will likely be one of the more hotly contested competitions in training camp. With no incumbent starter from a season ago on the roster, the number two receiver role is truly up for grabs this summer.

Camp Countdown presented by M&T Bank will examine some of the more pressing issues facing the team on the field as they make their final preparations for the regular season. We also focus on a few different areas that impact the team off the field. We’ll address these subjects one at a time until training camp begins. Here now is the latest daily installment as we carefully probe for some of the answers the Buffalo Bills have to come up with between July 27th and the Sept. 10th opener at New Era Field against the New York Jets.

Arguably the most turnover on the Bills roster this offseason occurred in the wide receiver corps. The departure of Robert Woods, Marquise Goodwin and Justin Hunter left a serious hole in the Bills depth at the position. To remedy this turnover, the Bills brought in both veteran and rookie wide receivers. With many new faces, and plenty of roles to be had, the battle at wide receiver should be one of the best at training camp. With starting positions up for grabs, here are the three most likely players to factor into the battle for number two wide receiver.

Corey BrownBrown was forced to fight his way to this opportunity in Buffalo. Brown went undrafted in 2014, after a rather successful career at Ohio State. He found his first chance in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers. After signing in 2014, Brown showed his natural playmaking ability immediately.

In his first season with the Panthers, Brown played in 13 games and had 21 receptions. He was used in a myriad of roles in the Panther offense, as they simply tried to use his speed as much as possible. Not only did he serve as a deep threat, he was also used out of the backfield, and served a major role on special teams.

Brown’s most successful season came in 2015, during Carolina’s run to the Super Bowl. Brown totaled 31 receptions on the season and had 447 yards receiving. Last year he continued to show his talents, and established himself as an offensive threat in Carolina.

Brown’s speed and game breaking ability makes him an interesting option for the number two wide receiver role. He rotated up and down between the first and second offensive units in the spring practices.

Offensive coordinator Rick Dennison stated that it’s important to have a deep threat in a run-first offense, as defenses will try to crowd the line of scrimmage.

“You take shots over their head,” said Dennison. “That’s how we’ve always tried to do it in the years I’ve learned this game from the guys that have taught me the game. We’ll be successful running it and when they’re up there trying to stop the run, we’ll take our shots down the field.”